Gregorc (1979) defined mind styles with the dimensions of use of time and use of space with four types: abstract random, concrete sequential, abstract sequential, and concrete random. A learner with the abstract random style tends to approach learning holistically and prefers to learn in an unstructured way, whereas a learner with the abstract sequential style inclines to take a logical approach to learning and strong in decoding written, verbal, and imagery symbols. A learner with the concrete sequential style tends to extract information through hands-on experiences and prefer well-structured learning environments, whereas a learner with the concrete random style prefers to adopt trial-and –error, intuitive, and independent approaches to learning. The relevant findings in literature supported that learning performance can be understood as the result of an interaction between intellectual style and learning tasks. Concrete-sequential types generally showed better learning performance than other types in both traditional and non-traditional environments. For instance, O'-Brien (1994) found that concrete-sequential participants tended to have higher grade point averages than participants with other styles among high school students.

As in traditional environments, some authors also obtained similar results for Gregorc’s style types in non-traditional environments (e.g., Davidson, Savenye, & Orr, 1992; Ross & Shultz, 1999). Using a linear format in which “next” and “previous” buttons were used to traverse a Computer-based Instruction course on cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Ross and Shultz (1999) found that abstract-sequential students performed the best, while abstract-random students performed the worst.

However, some inconsistent findings were also reported in literature. In contrast to his own findings from middle school students (O'-Brien, 1991), O'-Brien (1994) found that the abstract-sequential and abstract-random scales provided the greatest information yield from college students, among all Gregorc’s (1979) mind styles. This might be due to the difference of learning tasks and circumstances between middle school and college. Similarly, Miller’s (2005) study indicated that the learning style significantly influenced learning performance: students identified as concrete sequential scored significantly lower than students identified as concrete random. Therefore, concerning the mind style model, on the one hand, its contributions to learners’ academic achievement were well supported; on the other hand, unlike the clearly directed effects of FDI and reflective-impulsive styles on learning performance, the work on mind styles (Gregorc, 1979) bears further investigation.

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From Weiqiao Fan & Yunfeng He (2011). Intellectual Styles and Academic Achievement. In Zhang, L. F., Sternberg, R. J., & Rayner, S. (Eds.) (2011). Handbook of Intellectual Styles: Preferences in Cognition, Learning, and Thinking. Springer Publishing Company: New York.